Vehicle Review: Nissan GT-R At A Glance

At a Glance: 2009 Nissan GT-R

2009 Nissan GT-R

The all-new 2009 Nissan GT-R, the fifth-generation of the legendary Nissan supercar, will be available in North American beginning in Summer 2008. No longer the unobtainable object of desire on a video game or in the movies, the new Nissan GT-R will be sold through nearly 700 official “GT-R certified” Nissan dealers across the United States.

The Nissan GT-R is a multi-dimensional performance machine that lives up to the concept of “the ultimate supercar that can be driven by anyone, anytime, anywhere.” During development, it achieved a lap time of 7:38 around the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife, one of the fastest times achieved by a production-spec vehicle to date.

The new Nissan GT-R is built on an exclusive, all-new Premium Midship platform. This new platform enables the use of a world’s first independent rear transaxle ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive system, which places the transmission, transfer case and final drive at the rear of the vehicle, optimizing weight distribution and maximizing handling capability.

GT-R’s interior balances functionality with a sense of ease and comfort. It features sculpted performance bucket seats for an optimal driving position, a cockpit-style instrument panel with a large center-mounted tachometer and multi-function display – which includes mechanical and driving information, as well as an on-board driving recorder.

Total vehicle adjustability is provided by a “set-up switch” located in the center of the instrument panel, enabling the driver to adjust transmission shifts, shock absorbers and the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC-R) in three settings – Normal, Comfort or “R,” for ultimate handling. Premium models include a specially designed 11-speaker Bose® sound system with speakers mounted in rigid aluminum die cast panels, which provides sound quality suitable for a supercar.

Highlights of the 2009 Nissan GT-R include:

Body

Purposeful, cutting-edge styling with a Cd of 0.27, while achieving high front and rear downforce

Hybrid body construction of steel, die-cast aluminum and carbon fiber

GT-R’s aggressive styling evokes the lines of a well-trained athlete, combining strong character lines with smooth and solid areas

Front fenders express power and stability, “aero-blades” on fenders’ leading edges provide optimum air flow around the tires and along the body; vents in the fenders’ trailing edges assists in providing front downforce and optimization of side air flow

Aggressive front end styling, large hood budge and single central air intake for undisturbed air flow for power and cooling

Platform, Engine and Driveline

All-new advanced Premium Midship platform, enabling the use of a world’s first independent rear transaxle all-wheel drive system, which places the transmission, transfer case and final drive at the rear of the vehicle, without traditional torque tubes, allowing the suspension to operate completely independently

Suspension and Braking

Special “set-up switch” located in the center of the instrument panel; adjusts transmission shifts, shock absorbers and the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC-R), three settings – Normal, Comfort or “R,” for ultimate handling

GT-R specific adjustable Bilstein DampTronic suspension system utilizes multiple vehicle information systems to provide appropriate damping forces for all situations and a high level of control for a variety of driving situations

Soft pads located on the dash panels in front of the passenger and on both doors to give an extra level of comfort

A video game-inspiredmulti-function display with eleven pages of mechanical and driving information available, including acceleration, brake pedal pressure, steering angle and a recording function with playback

Navigation system featuring easy-to-use touch pad, as well as traditional navigation switches; screen interface also features enriched entertainment system with a Music Box Hard Drive, CD player controls and Bluetooth® Hands-free Phone System

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